waiting for the next song
by My night sky
Summary: while in detention saul tigh finds hope and strength through the voice of a prisoner in the next cell
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the characters or the lyrics just borrowing them a little

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He thought he was going crazy the first time he heard it but he knew by the third time he wasn't imagining it. There was a woman singing in the cell next to his. He couldn't believe it, couldn't imagine wasting what little energy he had between beatings to sing. The voice was beautiful though; had a gritty feel to it. He didn't know if that's what she always sounded like or if she was losing her voice from screaming. He could hear when her door was opened and shut and knew the cylons were torturing her. Maybe singing was her way to keep her sanity or hope. Maybe it was her way to defy the cylons; to show them they couldn't break her voice or her spirit. Whoever she is she's a fighter with a lot of willpower. Every night for the past 15 days he could hear her with the cylons and hear her after the cylons left. Singing thru the pain and abuse; finding an outlet for all the angst and torment. In one way he hoped it was a cylon trick because no one deserved all the pain that woman was going through but on the other hand he hoped it was a human. She could tell the cylons where they could stick it and keep on fighting. At night when he was blocking out the fear and pain he's mind would create a person to go with the voice.

She'd be beautiful with soft features, high cheekbones, full lips, a cute little nose and eyes as fierce as a goddess' set ablaze. Within that fierceness there was always warmth, she always managed to calm his racing mind, or distract him from his pain. Even in his mind she wielded a power over him; he wondered what she'd be like to meet in person. Could she captive his mind face to face as she does through the wall? He hoped they both lived long enough to find out.

There'd been a silence within his cell the last three days. No visits from the cylons or a song seeping through the cracks. It concerned him to say the least; he couldn't fathom why the cylons would suddenly leave him alone. That Brother Cavil seemed to have a personal vendetta against him. He didn't understand why. He understood Doral's grudge, he had left the bastard to die on Ragnar. And he did watch the man, machine whatever the hell they were blow himself up on Galactica. He understood the hatred from Doral but Brother Cavil had come as a mystery. Not that he cared what a skin job thought anyway. Really he was concerned about the woman; he hoped she was released. Free from this concrete hell, but something within him told him that wasn't what happened.

Maybe she was hurt and the cylons finally decided to get medical help. Or they took her somewhere else to torture her some more. He wasn't a religious man but since the end of the worlds he found himself looking for a higher power more often. Right now he prayed to the gods to spare the woman, who ever she maybe. It was late the third night when he heard the cell next to his open and a loud thump echoed through the open door then silence. The slam of the door closing and fading footsteps echoed through the corridor and died into nothing. He crawled to the connecting wall and strained to hear anything. He just had to know if she was still here and alive. Straining he could hear what sounded like dragging, like someone dragging themselves across the room. Then there was nothing but he kept listening. Something started seeping through the wall, quiet in volume and strength but there none the less.

"Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the gods?

Where's the street wise Hercules

To fight the rising odds?

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need"

The words stopped and silence embraced them. He was disappointed she stopped but relieved to know she was still alive. Now he wondered what she was singing for. What was it she needed other than freedom?

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would love to know your thoughts. thinking about making this a multi chapter story but if people don't like it there's no point, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Trying to understand what she was singing for or to who kept his mind occupied the following days. The cylons returned to his cell and rained a new hell upon him. They were unrelenting; peppering questions and punches upon him at a speed the gods would envy. Hours of their torment left him weak and exhausted; his mind beginning to break and revealing all his fears and insecurities. When finally left in peace he prayed; full body, mind and soul prayers to the gods. Pleading they hear him and forgive him for his many sins but mostly asking if this is to be his end to just end it. He asked that they look after Ellen when he was gone. Even after everything she's done to him he stilled loved

her with a deep encompassing love that went deep in his soul. Lastly he prayed for the woman in the next cell. He hadn't heard anything from her since the night she returned. The cylons had started on him early and it's felt like days since then.

Every part of him ached but the cold from the concrete helped numb some of the pain a little; at least enough that just lying there was bearable. Saul found that the silence was almost worse then hearing the other prisoners screams. Silence gave him a chance to relax and his mind time to roam and think. He found he didn't like thinking over his life, realizing the years he'd hidden in the bottom of a bottle. Reliving the mistakes and knowing there was no way to erase them or fix them. Silence would be what drove him to insanity faster then the cylons.

The cylons and their questions; everyday it was the same questions.

"Who is in the resistance?"

"What's their next target?"

"Who are the other leaders?"

He'd buried the names so far in the back of his mind no one would ever get them from him. He just hoped others within the resistance stayed as strong as him. He'd rather die then betray his people. He was stronger than that frak weasel of a president. He never thought he'd ever wish Roslin was still in office. They never would have settled on this hunk of rock. He'd still be second in command of Galactica not trudging through the mud, and listening to terrorists in political positions of power preach about this planet being our home and our future. Gods his body ached, the pain flaring up; holding him in its grip. Breathing became harder and little grunts escaped his mouth without his permission. Having been a soldier most of his life he never thought he could break but the cylons are proving everyone has their limits. Honestly he didn't know how much more he could take before he did something reckless. He'd never give them names but that doesn't mean he wouldn't break a cylons neck. Give them that one reason to end this.

"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night"

'Does she know the affect her voice on me? Does she realize the power she wields over my mind?' slowly the anger seeped out replaced by calm. The feeling of recklessness started to dissipate; faces of the soldiers counting on him flashed through his mind. He knew that the only way his people would get off this rock was with his help. He knew he couldn't just give up then the cylons would win.

"He's gotta be strong

And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight"

Hearing her sing raised more questions than answers. Does she have someone in mind when she sings? Is it a man or a god? She did give him something else to think about rather than his life so that was an improvement. She only painted a bigger question mark for saul to try and understand.


	3. Purpose

Again not my character or lyrics just borrowing them. all mistakes are mine and I apologize in advance for any.

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"I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon

And he's gotta be larger than life"

Her voice echoed down the hall as the cylons pushed Saul toward his cell; his gaze focused on the ground with his hands bound in front. They had taken him to see the cylon doctor; Cavil was worried he'd die from an infection in his eye socket. They wouldn't have to worry about it if they hadn't ripped out his eye; the bastards.

"Does she ever shut up" a Doral muttered under his breath.

"How about you go shut her up if it bothers you that much?" Cavil suggested. Doral walked ahead of the group and went into the woman's cell. Her singing instantly stopped and a deep painful grunt followed. As Saul got closer to the door he was torn between looking to see if he could catch a glimpse of the woman or if he should keep his gaze on the ground. As he came upon her door he couldn't help but look in. That glimpse into the cell was all it took for something inside of him to snap. Thinking stopped and instinct took over. He snapped his elbow back catching Cavil off guard and unable to defend himself from the blow to the stomach. Cavil doubled over and Saul sent his knee into the cylons face sending him to the ground in pain. Saul rushed into the cell and grabbed Doral by the back of his shirt and whipped him around and into the wall. With the cylon slightly dazed saul was able to push him out the door. He slammed the door shut and rushed over to the unconscious body on the floor. He grabbed her hands and dragged her to the corner of the room. He felt bad when he heard her whimpers and groans of pain; even unconscious she could still feel pain. Saul slipped his bound hands under her arms and cradled her between the wall and his body; the cylons wouldn't be able to pull them apart without a fight. Just as he'd finished the door slammed open and the cylons rushed in. They grabbed at his arms trying to yank them apart but they were wrapped up under her arms. Saul kicked Doral in the knee sending him to the floor in anger and pain. Cavil realized this was useless, the colonel wasn't going to let go; besides they could use this to their advantage somehow.

"Forget it Doral. Lets go" Cavil ordered as he walked out of the cell. Doral sneered at Saul as he limped after the older machine. 'What have I just given them?" Saul wondered to himself.

"Are they gone?" a tiny voice whispered.

"Yea, for now" he muttered back. He rearranged them so she was lying on top of him but out of view of the door. Every movement invoked a moan or grunt from one of them. Finally settled he swiped her hair to the side and looked at her face. Even bruised, battered and dirty she was still beautiful. He noticed tears started to sneak out of her closed eyes, she was trying desperately to hold it all in.

"let it out Laura, holding it in wont help you" he whispered in her ear. She shook her head; fighting a losing fight. Saul started to gently rock her and rested his head on hers and quietly sang to her.

"Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high  
there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue  
and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true"

Finally she stopped fighting and cried into his chest; he never stopped singing and rocking her. Even after she fell asleep he kept rocking her. After everything she'd done for him giving her this little bit of comfort was the least he could do. He'd make sure she made it off this planet one way or another, even if that meant giving up his life. She was the one person who deserved earth the most. He'd could never look bill in the eye again if she didn't make it back. But he wasn't making this vow for bill he was making this vow to protect this incredibly strong, stubborn, beautiful fragile woman who was his hero. He couldn't deny the existence of gods when he held this goddess in his arms. She gave him hope and now a purpose.

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love feedback. need to know what you're all thinking to figure out where to go with this.


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